Membrane resonance in bursting pacemaker neurons of an oscillatory network is correlated with network frequency

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-20-2009

Abstract

Network oscillations typically span a limited range of frequency. In pacemaker-driven networks, including many central pattern generators (CPGs), this frequency range is determined by the properties of bursting pacemaker neurons and their synaptic connections; thus, factors that affect the burst frequency of pacemaker neurons should play a role in determining the network frequency. We examine the role of membrane resonance of pacemaker neurons on the network frequency in the crab pyloric CPG. The pyloric oscillations (frequency of ∼1 Hz) are generated by a group of pacemaker neurons: the anterior burster (AB) and the pyloric dilator (PD). We examine the impedance profiles of the AB and PD neurons in response to sinusoidal current injections with varying frequency and find that both neuron types exhibit membrane resonance, i.e., demonstrate maximal impedance at a given preferred frequency. The membrane resonance frequencies of the AB and PD neurons fall within the range of the pyloric network oscillation frequency. Experiments with pharmacological blockers and computational modeling show that both calcium currents J Ca and the hyperpolarization-activated inward current I h are important in producing the membrane resonance in these neurons. We then demonstrate that both the membrane resonance frequency of the PD neuron and its suprathreshold bursting frequency can be shifted in the same direction by either direct current injection or by using the dynamic-clamp technique to inject artificial conductances for I h or I Ca. Together, these results suggest that membrane resonance of pacemaker neurons can be strongly correlated with the CPG oscillation frequency. Copyright © 2009 Society for Neuroscience.

Identifier

66249101635 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Neuroscience

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0545-09.2009

e-ISSN

15292401

ISSN

02706474

PubMed ID

19458214

First Page

6427

Last Page

6435

Issue

20

Volume

29

Grant

R01MH060605

Fund Ref

National Institute of Mental Health

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